Shaker for ingot molds



Dec. 5, 1933. G. G. BELL SHAKER FOR INGOT MOLDS Original Filed Oct. 23,1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Bea

' ATT0RNE3 G. G. BELL SHAKER FOR INGOT MOLDS Dec. 5, 1933.

Original Filed 301;. 25, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ILAN. |||IL A A l l I I ll ll jgnvm vrox. BY @120 A TTORNEYS Dec. 5, 1933.

s. G. BELL SHAKER FOR INGOT MOLDS Original Filed Oct. 23, 1.928 3Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY PATENT OFFICE SHAKER FOR IN GOT MOLDS- GeorgeG. Bell, Ashland,Ky., assignor to The American Rolling Mill Company, Middletown, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Original application October 23, 1928, Serial No.

314,506. Divided and this application June 16,

1930. Serial No. 461,499

4 Claims.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 314,506filed Oct. 23, 1928.

It is well known that when molten metal is poured into ingot molds,defective ingots tend to 5 be produced by a number of causes, theimmediate trouble, in one aspect, being referable to a too-rapidfreezing of the metal. Blisters, slag inclusions, and blow-holes areamong these defects, the latter particularly being due to the release ofgases held by occlusion or formed in the metal. The metal solidifies sorapidly that these gases, existing therein in bubbles cannot come to thesurface. Much work has been and is being done to overcome these defects.It is possible to kill steel, for example, by adding materials tendingto produce sounder castings. It has been proposed also to keep the metalmolten by various means for a longer period of time, so as to permit thenatural escape of gases and the segregation by floating of includedimpurities. Various measures have been proposed looking toward somemechanical treatment of the freshly poured ingot to speed up the freeingof foreign matters so that it will occur substantially within thenatural freezing time of the metal.

It is with the latter art that my invention deals. A number of proposalshave been made to jar an ingot mold and its charge during pouring, andbefore the metal has frozen. These have contemplated a series of blowsfrom beneath, administered by a mechanical or fluid-actuated meansequivalent to a hammer, or by the simple expedient of repeatedly raisingthe mold and base a short distance and dropping them against a solidsupport. While these measures are so costly and cumbersome as to haveachieved no wide-spread commercial use, yet upon trial they do result inimproved castings. Even so they do not result in the utmost bettermentwhich can be achieved by mechanical means. In recognition of this it hasalso been proposed to rotate the ingot mold while hammering it frombeneath. I am not aware what improvement this produces, if any; butmechanism to follow the, proposal is clearly out of the range ofcommercial practicability.

It is a fundamental object of my invention to provide means formechanically treating ingots upon a commercial scale, which means arecheap, positive, not subject to disorder, simple in construction, andeconomical of operation. My shaking devices are useful in the casting ofall metals subject to the disorders mentioned, or similar ones. Anexemplary use is in the casting of ing ats of the precious metals fordental purposes. An exceedingly important application, because of thesimplicity and economy of my means as well as other advantageshereinafter to be discussed, is in the large scale casting of ingots ofiron and steel, and I shall, in the ensuing disclosure dealso areadministered from more than one eifective direction. My invention thusresults in a new motion and mechanical treatment which I shallhereinafter refer to as shaking or vibration, bearing in mind itsdifferences from the result of a series of unidirectional blows.

'I have found that this new motion produces much improvement not onlyover ingots cast without treatment, but over ingots cast with the oldmechanical treatments. A series of experiments has indicated thatvibrating ingots by my method uniformly produces a decided improvementin the quality of the finished product; and this improvement appears toreside largely in a decrease of blisters, a reduction in slaginclusions, a reduction in blow holes, and a more satisfactory form ofingot pipe.

It is evident that a series of blows in one direction can be effectivein eliminating gases and impurities practically only through the inertiaeffect of the metal. While I desire not to be bound by a theory whichhas been insufficiently tested, I believe that my shaking or vibrationsupplements this effect by an actual bodily movement of the metal withrespect to the mold or to the frozen outer skin of the metal itself,which movement tends to facilitate the travel of inclusions to thesurface and which does also tend to retard incipient freezing such aswould bind impurities in place.

Broadly my invention provides a vibrating or shaking means comprising atable mounted so as to vibrate freely, a vibrating means therefor, and aseries of stops against which the table is jarred by and during thevibration.

The objects of my invention set forth above, as well as ancillaryobjects which will be set forth hereinafter, or will be apparent to oneskilled in the art upon reading these specifications, I accomplish bythat certain construction and arrangement of parts of which I shall nowdescribe a preferred embodiment. Reference is made to the drawings whichform a part of these specifications.

In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device with an ingot mold in place.

Figure 2 is a vertical section therethrough.

. elsewhere or for repairs.

Figure 3 shows one of a series of buggies in an ingot train with twoshakers and two ingot molds mounted thereon, during a pouring operation.

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the buggy showing a shaker, a mold, anda ladle, and showing also a convenient driving means for the vibration.

The base 1, of my shaker, may be if desired a part of a permanentsupport, or a part of a buggy in an ingot train, but I prefer to make itseparate so that the shaker as such may be placed wherever desired andreadily removed for use The base is preferably a solid block of metal ofa shape and size to underlie the table 2 which serves as a support forthe ingot mold. Base and table are separated by four heavy springs 3,fastened at either end respectively to table and base, so that the tableis free to oscillate with respect to the base. The table is adapted toreceive an ingot mold 4 which will be held rigidly thereon during thepouring operation by clamps 5 of any suitable construction. It will beclear that if the base is solidly mounted and a vibratory force appliedto the table, the table and ingot mold will shake or wabble with respectto the base, and that its motion will have components in many directionsboth horizontal and vertical. The springs will of course be heavy enoughto-bear the load of table, mold and molten metal.

Tolimit the oscillation of the table and also to produce jars andconcussions which will have a metallurgical effect upon the mold chargeancillary to the vibration, I provide a series of stop means orabutments. These may conveniently comprise heavy bolts 6 threaded intothe base and held therein adjustably as to height by lock nuts 7. Thesebolts will be adjusted so that their heads lie a short distance belowthe bottom of the table in the position in which the latter is held bythe springs when the ingot mold is full. A variation of this distancewill vary the limit of motion of the table when vibrated. It will alsobe obvious that during oscillation the table will strike the stops. Thiswill have the effect of administering blows to the table,'and sincethere are several stops, and since the table has horizontal as well asvertical oscillatory motion, the stops will not all be struck at once,and may all be struck severally. This will give the blows or concussionsdiffering effective directions upon the table. I prefer to mount thesprings at the four corners of base and table, and adjacent each anadjustable stop as shown. But different arrangements of springs andstops may be made if desired. Thus the springs may be mounted at thefour corners and the stops centrally of the sidesa Or each spring mayhave within it a central nonadjustable post serving as a stop. Thenumber of springs and the number of stops may be varied as desired.

The vibrating means for the table top may take various forms. Pneumatic,hydraulic or steam vibrators with or without counter weights may be usedbut are somewhat expensive. It may set up sufficient vibration merely tomove the device over a rough track when it is mounted upon a buggy, butin practice I have found this unreliable. Further, it is highlydesirable that vibration be applied during pouring, when generally theingot mold will be stationary. The

vibrator which I prefer to use comprises a shaft 8 mounted upon thetable in suitable bearings 9. The shaft, extends beyond the tablepreferably at both ends, and carries excentric weights 10. When theshaft is rotated these weights set up a vibration in the table, and thefrequency of that vibration may be readily controlled by the speed ofrotation of the shaft. The weights may be mounted on the shaft in thesame or in opposite excentric directions if desired; but I prefer tomount them at right angles so as to develop in full themulti-directional components of the shaking.

When vibration is applied, the ingot mold will be moved bodily in anumber of directions both horizontally and vertically and will be struckblows in rapid succession coming from different eifective'directions.There may be even a rotary component to the movement. The bodilydisplacement of the mold will occur, of course, only through a small andcarefully controlled space; but the top of the ingot mold will move morethan the bottom, which is advantageous. As hereinbefore set forth, Ihave found that my peculiar combination of shaking and concussionsproduces enhanced metallurgical effects.

Further the construction of my shaker is so simple and economical thatthe buggies in ingot trains may be permanently equipped with them at anexpense which is not prohibitive. In Figure 3 I have shown a buggy 11 ofthe usual construction, operating upon a track 12 and fitted with two ofmy shakers supporting ingot molds 4 and 4a. The mould 4 is being pouredfrom the ladle 13. Each buggy or each shaker may have its own vibrator;but I prefer (as shown in Figure 4) for economy and convenience toprovide a stationary driving means which may comprise an electric motor14 connected by universals to a detachable coupling 16, which may beconnected to the shaft 8 of each shaker as the buggy is drawn intopouring position.

Modifications in my invention will be within the purview of one skilledin the art to make prises imparting to the ingot mold before the 1 metaltherein has solidified, vibratory motion in more than one direction, andat the same time jarring the mold.

2. That process of treating ingots which comprises imparting to theingot mold before the metal therein has solidified, multi-directionalvibratory motion and a series of blows from a plurality of effectivedirections.

3. That process of treating ingots which comprises imparting to theingot mold before the metal therein has solidified, a multi-directionalvibratory motion, said motion so applied that the upper part of saidmold moves through a further distance than the lower part.

4. That process of treating ingots which comprises imparting to theingot mold before the metal therein has solidified, a multi-directionalvibratory motion, said motion so applied that the upper part of saidmold moves through a further distance than the lower part, andsubjecting said

